Navigating Mumbai’s Monsoon Madness

23rd July 2013… seemed like just another day. I woke up at my usual 8 AM — the weather was amazing. It had rained all night, and the skies showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Just the kind of cozy day that makes you want to call in sick and binge-watch old sitcoms. 😉

The morning went by like any other. Vidya (my wife) made breakfast, we ate together, and I was already thinking, “Ugh, 4 more days to go for the weekend.”

Post-breakfast routine: a bit of TV, some Facebook scrolling, then got ready for work. But as soon as I stepped out of the building — boom, rain! Not just a drizzle. A full-on, umbrella-mandatory downpour. My car was parked a bit away, so I shouted out to our watchman for some help. The guy handed me his legendary umbrella — and by “umbrella,” I mean something barely big enough for one average-sized person, definitely not built for someone my size. 😅

But hey, no choice. He helped me get to my car without becoming completely drenched. And off I went.

Before I leave for work, I always check Google Maps — just to see which route is better. Today? Total chaos. The rains had flooded most roads, and both my usual routes were a mess.

I have two options to get to the office:

1. The highway route – smoother roads, fewer potholes, car-friendly.

2. The Aarey route – potholes pretending to be roads, perfect for off-roading… if you’re into that kind of thrill (and hate your car).

Every time I take that second road, I end up thinking the same thing: “Man, I wish I had a…”

OR this...

OR this… (not the girl)

But, what i had was this…

So yeah, I took the safer route — the highway. Sure, it was jammed, but at least the roads were decent. Another day when my car silently thanks me for not taking it on an off-roading torture ride through Aarey. 😅

I knew the ride to work would be long, so I did a full pre-flight check:

Tyre pressure? ✅

• Fuel? ✅

• Phone in car mode and mounted? ✅

• Radio? ✅

• My favourite audio CD? ✅

Let the journey begin.

I hadn’t even made it out of my neighbourhood when traffic welcomed me with open arms. “No worries, this is how it’s going to be till the office,” I told myself, with a half-smile and full resignation.

Now, here’s a golden Mumbai driving truth:

Anyone driving faster than you is a maniac, anyone slower is a total idiot.

And clearly, there were a lot of both that day. So, naturally, I joined the chaos — part survival, part guilty pleasure.

And then… bang!

Someone rear-ends my car. I let out a “WHAT THE F***” — more out of habit than anything else. Looked in the mirror — turns out it was a demo car… from the same company as mine. Great.

I stopped my car right there to make sure he didn’t pull a hit-and-run. Got out, checked the damage — luckily, nothing. Walked up to the guy and told him, “Bhai, itna jaldi hai toh plane mein ja!”. He mumbled an apology, and we both moved on.

It’s usually an hour-long drive to the office. An hour in, I hadn’t even covered half the distance.

And just as I was recovering from that mini-road rage episode… my engine dies. Like, completely.

I stared at the dashboard like it owed me an explanation. Gave it a minute, turned the key — and voilà! It started like nothing had happened. Thank you, car gods 🙏

Back on the road, I hit a flyover, and of course — trucks. I hate flyover traffic with trucks. They climb slower than snails and jam up every lane.

The radio was still on, with the RJ giving their classic “avoid this road, avoid that road” updates. Honestly, they named every major road and said, “avoid.”

I was like, “Bro… if I live uptown and work downtown, where exactly do you expect me to go? Through Narnia?”

By the time I reached Andheri (my office area), I was exhausted. And then came the worst part — I needed to pee.

Like, really bad.

And you know what makes it worse? Rains. You just hear the rain, and your bladder gives up on you.

I tried to distract myself, even switched off the AC hoping it might help. Bought me 10 minutes. But eventually, I gave up and pulled over.

Spotted a bunch of Mumbai cops chilling under a building. Now, the perk of being a Marathi speaker — you can plead your case better. I went up to them and asked if there was anywhere I could… you know. One of them got the hint, probably felt my pain, and pointed to a side area with a nod of approval.

Bless that man.

He must’ve had his own “emergency rain situations” before.

Aaaaaahhh… sweet, sweet relief. Or as I now call it — “water relief.” 😄

Feeling like a new person, I got back in the car, AC on, turned off the blabbering radio, and let my favourite CD do its magic.

…but of course, the happiness was short-lived.

A few hundred meters later — waterlogging. Massive.

Cars were stalled. Water was knee-high. I was stuck in the middle of it, trying to find that one patch where the water wasn’t threatening to turn my car into a submarine. Found one — and naturally, everyone else had found it too.

Joined the line. Moved inch by inch.

Somewhere in that mess, I figured — why not use this time for some photography?

Pulled out my phone and started clicking away…

Over time, I’ve memorized every twist, turn, pothole, and open manhole on this godforsaken stretch of road. Muscle memory kicks in before the suspension does. 😅

But imagine this — what if you don’t know the roads? No signs, no barricades, and bam! Your car dives headfirst into an open manhole. One second you’re jamming to your favorite song, and the next, your car’s doing the Mumbai version of a disappearing act. 🎩💥🚗💨

Forget engine repairs — you’ll need therapy.

Honestly, we joke about it, but it’s scary how common this is during the rains. A simple missing cover can mean a disaster — for bikes, cars, or worse, pedestrians. It’s not just a bad day; it’s a potentially tragic one.

I’ve been lucky so far — dodged them all, but not without a little prayer every time the water covers the road. Because in Mumbai monsoons, what looks like a puddle could very well be the city’s version of a black hole.

After battling traffic, dodging potholes, surviving an engine scare, nearly losing my sanity (and bladder), I finally made it to the office — a full 2.5 hours later.

Turns out, I wasn’t alone. Everyone who managed to drive in had a similar saga — minus the rear-end accident, engine hiccup, and urgent pit stop, of course. Lucky them. 😅

But that’s Mumbai for you.

Every year the rains arrive, and so does the chaos. Yet somehow, we adjust. We crib, we laugh, we make memes, and we just… move. It’s the Mumbai spirit — stubborn, soaked, slightly insane, but always alive.

I’m not even going to wish that this doesn’t happen again. Because let’s be honest, it will. It’s just part of life here. But what I do hope for — is that I keep my sense of humor, my patience, and that oddly comforting madness that comes with calling this city home.

Happy Rains, Mumbai! ☔🌧️